I'll certainly take it slow. I've just been casually eyeing $1500-$2000 16' boats, but just saw this one for a few hundred, and was considering if I should jump on it. I do have a perfect breezy beginner lake a few minutes east, then a big windy lake a few minutes to the west (Champlain). I'll take my time working my way up to the bigger one.

Thanks for the good tips on what to watch for and be wary of. I'll take all that into consideration. It sounds like the hulls may have delamination on the tops, so it may be too much to get into - but I'll try to read more about that type of repair.

The biggest thing that concerns me though is the inability to right the boat. I view that as a must, so it sounds like this might be too much for me in that regard. Is a 16' boat that much of a difference? I know some people must go solo - maybe they have those special poles underneath or somethign?

With regard to the strong winds... is it not possible to only raise the sail partially to shrink it's area - or is it not designed to be rigged in such a fashion?

Thanks again for the feedback. Would anyone recommend a good general resource so I don't overdo it with the basic questions - I see the FAQ is mostly about the forum itself here.